Personal musings on Israel, Jewish matters, history and how they all affect each other

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Saving Mohammad Abu-Mustafa

Here's an interesting article about what seems to be a riveting documentary film. The author of the article has seen the film, but all the rest of us haven't, so you've got to do a bit of reading between the lines. Israelis may be able to see the film if they put their mind to it, but other people won't, I expect.

The film tells the story of a Palestinian baby from Gaza whose life is saved by a combination of Israeli medical staff at Tel Hashomer hospital near Tel Aviv and Israeli citizens who came forward with donations to pay for the treatment, even as Israel and Gaza were (and still are) at war, with all that goes with that. At least initially, the baby's mother says she hopes he'll be saved so that when he grows up he'll be a shahid and will kill Israelis, because "Jerusalem is ours".

I blogged about this back in 2007, here, and that post included a link to this story, about the time my daughter spent in the children hematology department at Tel Hashomer, back in 2004-5, treating children such as Mohammad.

5 comments:

Anonymous
said...

as, I think 4infidels, had figured out the other day by looking at statistics there must be innumberable cases like that i.e. when Gazan kids' lifes get saved in Israeli hospitals - I hope the documentary gets that across also.

You know, the ethics/morality of that woman appears so sick and depraved that, according to our own sense of morality, the only explanation we could be satisfied with is that she is *forced* to say those things in case someone in Gaza watches the film and looks for any sign of "betrayal" to the Israelis who saved his son's life.

Because to entertain for a moment the idea that the woman believes sincerely that her son's life means nothing to her if he grows up to kill the people that are trying desperately to save his life, is too sick. You wonder how can she approach the doctors with that double mind, that lying cheating mind that is thinking: "please save my son so he can kill you." "Please, try to find a way with your wonderful medicine so he can blow the pub where your own daughter goes". Her mind is too manipulative to be believed. She wants the doctor to collaborate in their own death. Her work to be a suicidal work.

If I were a doctor, and heard her say those sick things, I would have said: "please, take your kid back to Gaza, I don't want to save his life if you don't want to." Or even better: give me your kid, we will raise him as a Jew and he will cherish life, not death like you.

Let me see if I can explain what seems to be an otherwise incomprehensible mindset from the mother:

The credit for saving the boy's life goes to Allah, for it is Allah who is responsible for all things, and it was Allah's will that there would be a hospital with doctors that would treat the boy.

What better way to repay Allah for his kindness and mercy on this believer than for his life to be dedicated to serving the jihad. Since Allah wants the Muslims to fight the infidels until they submit to the rule of Islam, he must have saved the boy's life so that he could be part of Allah's plan here on earth.

By giving his life for jihad against the Jews, the most hateful of all infidels in the eyes of the believers, the boy is guaranteeing himself a place in paradise. And what mother wouldn't want that for her child!

Meanwhile the kindness of the Jewish doctors and hospital staff does not change the ongoing commands in the Koran, which are not limited to a time and place. Though Allah, in all his merciful wisdom saved the boy so that he could better serve Allah, the Jews were motivated in their "kindness" by the desire to lead Muslims astray from the one true religion, either by following the infidel ways or by softening the believers' hearts toward the infidels for whom firmness, hatred and contempt are required, according to Allah and his apostle.

So this woman is showing great faith in Allah in staying true to the teachings of the Koran and the sayings and example of the Prophet regardless of her circumstances. Remember the Jews allowed the Prophet into Medina when he was not accepted in his hometown of Mecca. That did not stop him from making war on them for refusing to accept the one true faith.

Even if this woman doesn't believe what she says, the fact that she feels she must say it is the biggest reason why I place no hope in "peace-processes."

I hope this movie will be shown in NYC and I will get a chance to see it. I read the article, and the journalist also sounds fascinating. He said he wanted to drop the project when the mother said she wanted the son to become a shahid. But the journalist promises there is a redemption, but didn't want to ruin the movie for us.....